Door-fastening device.



E. E. HAWKINS. DOOR FASTENING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 11, 1913.

Patented Aug.25, 1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS '35., FHGTDLITHQ. WJIHINOTOH, D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELBERT E. HAWKINS, OF UNADILLA, NEW YORK.

DOOR-FASTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

Application filed October 17, 1913. Serial No. 795,744.

devices, and has for an object to provide a means for securing and looking a removable door in such a manner that it is not only maintained in closed position, but substantially seals the opening so that it is practically air tight.

It has for a further object to provide in combination with the aforesaid means, a bail or like device adapted to control the actuation of the door fastening means and which also serves, together with other similar bails, as a ladder by which the door structure may be scaled if desired, each bail, under the weight of a person, acting to more firmly clamp the locking mechanism.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my inven tion, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at pres ent preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be under stood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawings, similar numerals of reference relate to corresponding parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a silo showing the doors and fastening devices embodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents a section on line :cw of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents a section on line y z of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 represents a detail in plan of one of the fastening members.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown my invention as ap plied to a silo wherein 1 designates the body or frame of the silo consisting of the usual vertical timbers arranged to form a cylindrical structure which is bound together at suitable points by metal hoops 2 provided with the usual adjustable means 3 as will be readily understood. As is customary in the construction of silos, the side frames 4 form a vertical opening which is closed by a plurality of doors arranged in superposed relation and each independently removable so that any part of the interior of the structure is accessible as desired.

In view of the fact that all of the doors embodying my novel locking means are similar, I will confine a description of the details of construction to one with the understanding that it is to apply to each.

The side frames 4 are rabbeted to receive the door 5, and it will be noted that both the frames 4 and the side edges of the door 5 are beveled as shown at 6, so that when the door is pressed into place, it will have a wedging action which insures a tight sub- ;stantially leak-proof oint. At each side of the door, I provide a pair of undercut guide members 7 which are fixed to the door in any desired manner and suitably spaced apart to receive respectively the bottom plate or flange 8 of the latch members 9. These latches 9 are respectively movable in the guide 7 and are so positioned as to project, in looking position, a substantial dis tance beyond the edge of the door 5, and this projecting portion of each is preferably beveled as shown at 10 to coact with a similar surface on the keeper members 11. The keepers 11 are fixed to the frame 4 at opposite sides of the door, and it will be apparent, from the foregoing, that when the door 5 is placed in position between the frames 4 and the two laterally movable latches 9 are both extended, they will engage the keeper members 11 respectively and exert a wedging action to securely fasten the door in place. These latch members, in the pres ent instance, are shifted from one position to another by the movement of a bail 12, which passes through a cam slot 13 in each of the latch members and has its ends angularly disposed with respect to the body portion of the bail and passing within a U-shaped clamp 14, the ends of which pass through the door 5 and are secured by suitable nuts or the like. It will thus be apparent that as the bails 12 are pivoted at each end in the aforesaid clamps 14, they may be moved readily from one position to another, and as here shown, I have made the slots 13 of such length that the movement of the bail is limited in one direction to substantially a horizontal position, while in the other direction it is freely movable to a vertical position, this latter movement being toward the top of the door. By this construction, the doors 5 are always securely locked when the respective bails are moved downwardly to a horizontal or substantially horizontal position, and they thereby serve collectively I as a ladder to reach any portion of the silo desired, the weight of a person thus more surely preventing the latches from being withdrawn. Thus the doors are automatically retained in locked condition whenever the bails are in lowered position. It will also be readily apparent that any door may be quickly released by moving its bail in the proper direction to cause it to coact with the respective cam slots of the locking members and withdraw the latches 9 from the keepers 11.

In connection with the latch structure it will be noted that the slotted portion or cam member of each latch is preferably substantially semi-spherical or cup shaped in form to receive the pivotal connection of the bail with the U-shaped clamping members. Thus these latch portions encompass and shield the journals of the ends of the bails so that they are not exposed to weather conditions and prevent rusting of the parts as well as freezing in the winter. These members, protecting as they do the pivot bearings, insure the bails operating freely at any time desired.

l/Vhile I have, in the present instance, disclosed a latch provided with a cam slot through which the bail controlling means is adapted to slide, I do not wish to be limited to this specific construction, since substantially the same result may be obtained by providing each end of a bail with a loop through which passes an angularly disposed rod which is fast to the respective latch members. By this modified construction, a partial rotation of the bail will cause the two latches to be simultaneously moved either away from each other to locking position, or toward each other to unlocking position, all of which I deem Within the scope of my invention.

It will now be apparent that I have provided a complete unitary structure, simple in construction and effective in operation for the purpose intended and possessing advantages not heretofore attained, namely, of having a removable door provided with looking devices which are controlled by bails pivoted to the doors and each bail serving as an independent operating means for the looks or latches controlling that particular bail door.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character stated, a suitable frame, a door adapted to fit therein, keepers fixed to said frame at each side of said door, a pair of latches slidably mounted on said door and each having a cup shaped portion provided with a cam slot, said latches being adapted to engage the respective keepers, and a bail pivoted at each end to said door and within the cup-shaped portions of said latches, said bail also passing through the respective cam slots whereby movement of said bail simultaneously actuates said latches to engage or disengage said keepers.

2. In a device of the character stated, a suitable frame, a door adapted to fit therein, a keeper fixed to said frame at each side of said door, a pair of latches slidably mounted on said door and each adapted to engage a keeper, said latches having a cup shaped portion provided with a cam slot, a pair of U-shaped clamps secured to said door and projecting within the respective cup shaped portions of said latches, and a bail having its ends passing respectively through said cam slots and pivoted to the respective clamps within the cup shaped portions, whereby the pivot bearings of said bail are shielded and the bail is always freely movable to cause said latches to be moved into or out of engagement with said keepers.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

ELBERT E. HAl VKINS. lVitnesses R. M. HUNTER, E. W. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. 0. 

